Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 851 — page 9: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

* at © tal re “5 ia >, a ro, ee ew en ae het ee ees ke “id ga Je BS mg gy eee Fm ma at a > e i Ae « ’ . i a ct Sh J ¢ tee pea Ss ces, a ol b ee , Oe ee —— < s “FP = Mt 2 Le a. ioe, a mere! 4 : - -_ - - o> eres faa ee < ey Erte ess - s - “| , ~~ a > : ~ " ny -2 0 Qrerep =": c - - Te tO ~~ - = - ~ - ” . > . 7 . dG 7 = CHAPTER IX, THE RISING OF JUDGE LYNCH, CHARLEY Briaa@s’s knees shut up jack- knife fashion, or he would have been a dead gambler, It was the jarring click of the hammer of the revolver held in Johnson’s hand which saved him. He knew that after hearing that the bullet would be along in short order, and he dodged in the speediest and most effective way. As he seated himself on the floor, with more promptness than grace, his revolver came out again, and he twisted himself around, just in time to see Johnson falling toward him. At the same time, Dell Ham- mond was thrusting away a pistol. ‘*Thankee, pard!” cried Briggs, leaping to his feet, his weapon still in hand. “ T might have known the dirty dog would play me foulif he could, and if you hadn’t chipped I reckon I would have stood a mighty pone show to go over the range. He would ave gota second shot before I could be ready for him.” Hammond made no answer but looked keenly around, his hand resting carelessly near to his now hidden pistol. He was not sure the frolic was over yet. At the reports all was confusion in that part of the saloon, The two players, who had thus by chance, as it seemed, become pards, had not suffered it to pass altogether unnoticed that there were more spectators to the game than was usual, and that for some time there had been an unexplained drift in the direction of the table. Now, these outsiders all suddenly developed into friends of the man who la where he had fallen, his arms outstretched, and his face covered with blood from a wound in his head. Fortunately for the two the crowd was all around them, Had it not been for that the ball might have opened on the instant, for more than one hand brandished a weapon, and from the shouts which arose as it came surg- ing forward it seemed the crowd was already ripe for revenge. ‘‘Down with him! He’s shot Dave in cold blood—whar’s yer rope?” ‘« It’s ther bloody pirate ez came in on ther stage, an’ they did say he war Captain Brand, hisself.”’ | ‘‘ Hang ther road-agent, an’ send his pard up along with him!” ‘Hands up thar, yerselves, an’ sec how yer likes it!” ‘Up they are,” retorted Briggs; ‘* but each one holds about half a dozen lives, Go a leetle slow till you find what all this racket is about. He tried to shoot.me from behind, and if my pard, there, gave him his gruel it was no more than he deserved. There's the ‘ 3s mark of Johnson’s bullet on the wall, and if it wasn’t a fair line shot for the head that just then didn’t happen to be there Pd like - toknow. Steady as you are or there will be “Ws . * ee - ’ ? ‘ Pa fae * we. - - Ave or * .* J = ‘ ae Hammond was taking care of the rest. found he had been elected to the position pistol play for a fact.” The rush wavered and came to a halt. Briggs was covering several of those who had wasted time flourishing pistols, and i He ef Briggs’s pard whether he wanted it or not, - and under the circumstances it might not be New . . che, ~ < AG f exactly safe to decline the honor, Charley was in effect putting in one word for him- ‘self, and a dozen for him. - But the danger was not over. There was a chance for a sly shot at any i Bement, and meantime, if the crowd was be ° « « mad ’ aa , * on 4% . _ more deadly. __. Inspite of the pistols one man took a step 4 rh< 7 > ms = + ” r pt * ie ecked its humor seemed only to become ‘ve the front. -*©'Thar’s a dead man on the floor, an’ thar’s tae man what shot him without a word ov warning. Sinners’ Flat may be.a rough Son 28? mie A *: ‘a 4 a OVS " il a Tie-To Sport. .¢ = 4. \. - -* - 4 —* e ~. place. but it’s whar they deal out jestice, hot an’ quick. Are these men ter git it?” ‘You bet!” chorused the crowd. “Thar you have it,” he continued, turn. ing to Briggs. ‘* When ther boys talk that way they mean business. You can’t fight ther town, an’ then thar’ll be no chance at all ef yer tries it on. Step up ter Jedge Lynch’s bar an’ ou’ll git what yer deserves; no more, an’ no ess. hat do yer say? An’ be mighty keerful how yer answers,” ‘You say, pard,” said Briggs, giving a quick, keen glance at Dell Hammond. ‘‘T pass. You know the gang better than I. If Iwas rane things I’d say I never was called down as long as I held sixes, and was ready to bet money they would rake the pot.” ‘‘Then, that’s my platform, too. If you galoots want two prisoners you got to come and take them.” And side by side, with their backs against the wall, the two men faced the crowd, A fete again appeared to be at about boiling eat. ‘‘Last offer. It’s your pard that done ther shootin’, an’ it’s him that we'll be a-try- in’. We know he shot Dave; we reckon he’s snatched ther stakes, w’ot made Dave git to his gun, an’ we s’pect him ov bein’ a road- agent, which ther same he kin explain how he come ter git cn ther hearse jest ez Cap- tain Brand war a-leavin’ after a hold-up this afternoon. Ef yer wants ter do him good git him ter hold up his hands an‘ you kin be rustlin’ round ter see thet we play him fair. Dunno ez we got ary thing ag’in’ you ’cept bein’ in blame bad company.” Part of this was not just as clear as mud, but it was plain it wasa bid made to separ- ate the two pards. Charley Briggs simply shrugged his shoul. ders. Then, he edged a little closer to the Tie-To Sport, and in a low tone gave a warning: ‘“Tt’s the worst gang, and the biggest gang intown. Reckon there will be music in the air. All the same when the pinch does come I can count on a few friends if 1 give the signal. But I’d like blame well to know how they found me out.” ‘You don’t want ter waste no time askin’ conunderums,” piped a shrill voice, almost at his elbow. ‘“They’re a- goin’ ter plug one ov yer frum the winder, with a shot-gun, an’ I’m bettin’ odds thet ef they begin they’ll take yer in, all both. What yer goin’ ter do about it, afore I j’ines ther other side?” Billy Jingle had creptin through the push, some time before, and after the fashion of the Irish rioter was willing to throw a brick wherever he could see a head. ‘*By heavens! you're right, boy!” exclaim- ed Briggs, bis gaze darting toward the win- dow immediately opposite. ‘‘T wondered why they held up. there, and ready here. Ah!” Through the window came a pair of muzzles that evidently belonged to shot- guns, and for an instant faces were seen, elancing along the barrels. There was no time for hesitation or chal- lenge. When men took such careful aim it. was because they meant death to follow. The two pards were close to the gates of death, and only the warning of the boy to save them. With a quick turn of the wrists the sport threw his muzzles around, and without dwell- ing on his aim fired two shots. A scream came from without, and the clatter of a steel barrel falling upon a stone. The other barrel wavered for a second, pointed upward, sent a handful of buck- shot into the ceiling, and then disappeared, Neither of the sport’s shots were wasted. Quickly as he turned again tothe crowd, the men of Sinners’ Flat were quicker. His Steady, a han"s ‘oa et : >, ; te = J. AY < Ae : Kis. 2 Aah SRR ew a, oe Ae , bd oa ‘ F . Fae ~~ T+ Sern 8 Se an : 4, ‘ Siew ay x ° i 9 fire had been drawn, and before he could even draw the hammers of his tools a dozen men were upon him, snarling, swearing, grasping, ready to tear or slay. At the same time, some one flung a hat in- to the face of Charley Briggs and though he aimlessly pulled trigger once, the end of his gun was forced upward, and he was flung into the midst of the snarling, gnashing crowd. Dell Hammond in the course of his busi- ness experiences had been in such emeutes before, though they were not directed at his life, but at that of some other unfortunate. He had not, from the first, been able to. make up his mind that all this riot was on account of the shooting of Dave Johnson; but if it was he had lost all chance of clear- ing his skirts when he fired two shots at the men in the window. All that seemed left, now, was a fight to the bitter end, Clasping his pistol tightly he struck out savagely with their steel bound butts, he wrenched himself loose from the hands that grasped him, he did the work of a dozen men. Had Briggs beén as vicious the two would have cut a wide swath through the crowd—might even have come out vic- torious. Unfortunately, Briggs was on the defen- sive, Once moving and they kept him moving. He was hustled this way, and when he broke away he was plunged that, He fired several shots without knowing whether they counted, and then saw two men driy- ing at him with knives in their fists. Atsight of that he appeared to lose his sand. ‘He gave utterance to a loud whistle, tore himself loose once more, and having broken through in some miraculous manner went sailing feet through the _ nearest window, just as Early Ike, Ante Ben, and other heelers of the place came driving through the door which led to the bar-room. All this passed with almost blinding rapid- ity, but Dell Hammond kept the run of the cards as the game progressed, and when he saw Briggs retreat he thought it was time to go along, He leaped back in time to evade a knife-thrust, sprung upward, landin upon the shoulders of two of the mob, an over the heads of them all bounded for the window, firing shots from either hand as he went, As he passed through the opening left b Charley Briggs some one was right at his heels, and that some one was Billy Jingle, CHAPTER X. THE TIE-TO SPORT RETIRES IN GOOD ORDER. So far to the best of his knowledge, Dell Hammond had killed no one. ' There wasachance his bullets had not gone exactly where he meant them, but he was willing to bet such was not the case, It was to avoid going to extremities, and to gain a little time, that he retreated, Had he believed the case was hopeless he would have died trying to make his teeth meet. Ile didnot blame Briggs for making his retreat, though he was a little surprised at not finding him waiting outside. At any rate, he did not intend to remain there to make a fight alone, and with head bent low tripped along close to the side of the house, the shadow concealed him, and he naturally made for the rear of the saloon as being the best route to take to dodge the would be lynchers. Something he did not altogether under- stand caused him to hasten on. He was certain Briggs was not lurking near, yet before he had taken the second step some one on the outside began a regular fusillade—and it was directed at the house, for with every shot Dell could hear the ingle of breaking window-glass. ‘‘He’s throwing away good lead, firin high,” thought Hammond, as he hurrie along,